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WILLIAM EMERSON DAMON 


3 








HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


HARTLAND VERMONT 


By 

EVALINE DARLING MORGAN 




THE ELM TREE PRESS 

WOODSTOCK VERMONT 

1923 





\ 








After long experience I am convinced that the best place 
to study nature is at one’s own home—on the farm, in the 
mountains, on the plains, by the sea—no matter where that 
may be. The seasons bring to his door the great revolving cy¬ 
cle of wild life, floral and faunal, and he need miss no part of 
the show. 


John Burroughs 



CORRIGENDA. 


Pag8 10, transpose lines 1 and 2. 

Page 83, four lines from bottom, for “ tone ” read “ love 

Page 85, six lines from bottom, for “concepting” read “conception’ 

Page 86, line 1, after “ from ” read “ what ”, and omit comma. 

Page 86, five lines from bottom, for “ fields ” read “ field 

Page 86, four lines from bottom, for “ power ” read “ honour 


The Origins of Order and Law. 




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FOREWORD 


The publication of this extremely interesting pamphlet may well 
be made very valuable as an inspiration to nature lovers in many 
places to do likewise. While not every village in America has so large 
a group of observant people with time, energy, knowledge, and civic 
spirit sufficient for the conduct of a club like this, and with outside af¬ 
filiations among people of knowledge and means able to help in the 
work, yet there must be many places where these conditions are ap¬ 
proximated. So the distribution of this publication ought to stimulate 
emulation. 

The simplicity of the style gives the tale charm. And the unpre¬ 
tentiousness of the club’s conduct makes the adventure attractive. One 
reflects, " Here is a group of people which grows but does not climb.” 
They have lived and worked for fifteen years without declaring them¬ 
selves a national movement, and hence without endeavoring to organ¬ 
ize everybody on the continent under their leafy banner. They remind 
one of Henry Ward Beecher’s story, ’’The Mother Bird too Wanted to 
Sing, but she had no Time, so she turned her Song into Work.” 

Consider, ye that live in a middle state suburb, are there three or 
four persons in your town who have sufficient real love for real Nature 
to gather together in her name? Could you draw into communion fif¬ 
teen men and twenty-five women, and just go along holding informal 
meetings and paying fifty cents per annum dues, and be happy in 
showing each other bugs, and birds, mosses and ferns, constellations 
and tree leaves, until finally it became necessary to establish head¬ 
quarters at a rent of ten dollars a year? Could you easily and grace¬ 
fully fall into co-operations with your local schools, your state colleges, 
the national government, distinguished summer boarders, and exiled 
sons of your own town, all of whom would willingly contribute to your 
work? And do the native sons and daughters of your village when they 
prosper in distant places remember the old home and endow cozy 
headquarters for your little club when they put up a new Town Hall? 
These things belong to the spirit of New England. And the country in 
which these thing happen has culture. 

Whose children, think you, are likely to grow up with the truest 
culture of this sort —the children of the Metropolitan rich, who are 


VI 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


taken on nature study jaunts by itinerant teachers, selected and paid 
for the purpose, or the children of the Metropolitan poor, who when a 
self-immolating teacher takes them on an annual jaunt to a park and 
invites her own mother to come and help, gaze upon the mother and 
the park and inquire as to the former, "Is that Mother Nature? ” or the 
children of these village families who go in the parental Ford, or be¬ 
hind the family team, the whole family together, on a picnic club meet¬ 
ing, to explore " Garvin Hill ” or the " Acre ” and make mutual report 
on its flora, its fauna and its cultural improvements? Think of the 
families all talking it over thereafter! No wonder that successful pro¬ 
geny return in old age to endow something! They feel toward their 
field and forest haunts the tenderness of the genuine patriot who de¬ 
sires in his turn to repay the blessings he has received. 

So—the publication of this brochure is a duty to humanity, to the 
country, to the State of Vermont, and to the town of Hartland. 

J. C. Dana 







HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


HOW IT BEGAN 

On a day in October, over fifteen years ago, in a little white 
farm house far up among Vermont’s green hills, four friends 
stood in front of a curio cupboard while the owner showed and 
described her treasured possessions. 

“This is a great horn spoon, and this a flowered luster 
pitcher, and this a quaint old wood carving. They all came to 
me from my Scotch ancestors. These are king and queen conch 
shells from the West Indies, and this is a whale’s tooth from 
Cape Cod. They were given me by an old sea captain.” 

The tooth was passed around to test its surprising weight. 

“Look at this bit of clapboard from one of the original 
Pilgrim houses of Plymouth, Massachusetts. This fragment of 
brick is from the first fort there. Here is a bit of gold from our 
own mines near Plymouth, and this is silver ore that my sister 
and I got at Silver Plume, Colorado.” 

“What,” exclaimed one, “can that be on the top shelf—that 
plume-like plum colored thing of such graceful shape?” 

“Oh, that was given me by Mrs. Alfred Bell when I taught 
school in the Densmore District. I was only sixteen years old 
at that time, and she started me on the collection of curios by 
giving me all these marine specimens. I have had a curio cup¬ 
board ever since.” 

As they looked and wondered an idea seemed to strike all 
in the group at once. And in one breath the four exclaimed, 
“Let’s have a Nature Club in Hartland!” 

They talked it over as they examined the rest of the collec¬ 
tion. There were specimens of plants from North Carolina and 
from Colorado, and from England, each full of reminiscence for 
the collector. Then they went out into the garden, beautiful with 
autumn’s flowers and fruit, and looked away to the far hills, 
ablaze with color. When they parted, their thought had become 
a purpose: “We will organize that club.” 


2 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


IT IS ORGANIZED 

On November 16, 1907 the Hartland Nature Club was or¬ 
ganized. The secretary’s record says: 

A meeting of those interested in the study of 
Nature called this day at the residence of the writer, 
brought out an attendance of four. It was decided to 
organize a Nature Club in Hartland, and a constitution 
was drawn up and adopted. 

It was decided to hold a meeting once a month on 
a Saturday afternoon for reading of papers and discus¬ 
sions, to take walks for observation on Saturday after¬ 
noons two weeks after each indoor meeting, and to 
circulate this book for signatures between this date and 
the December meeting. 

Jay G. Underwood, Secretary. 

The constitution stated the objects to be to promote “friendly 
intercourse among students of nature,” and to secure “knowledge 
of the natural history of Hartland,” and the dues were fixed at 
25 cents a year, and afterwards raised to 50 cents! 

There were 43 founding members, 28 women and 15 men. 

ITS FIRST YEAR 

The work done at indoor meetings during the first year 
consisted of reading of articles; the reading of papers, some 
written by one member and some collective papers, written by 
the co-operations of several, one of whom acted as editor; talks 
by members or by visiting specialists; discussions and queries, 
and exhibits. The subjects considered during the first year were as 
varied as the nature interests and opportunities of the members. 
They covered many topics which are given elsewhere in the First 
Program, 1907-08. 

The meetings were held in the homes of members. Many 
members live on farms, somewhat remote. As soon, therefore, 
as the weather permitted, the club held at these farms all-day 
meetings. This developed into a very successful policy of field 
meetings for exploration of various sections of the town. After 
the home farms had been explored, expeditions were formed for 
specific study of hills, swamps, meadows, and streams. Not the 
least delight of these early meetings came on the social side from 
the getting acquainted with people in the various parts of the 
town, and the enjoyment of their interest and co-operation. 




HARTLAND VERMONT 


3 


It will be seen that 28 papers and talks had been given, by 
14 people, several of them accompanied by exhibits, and that 
three of the papers were collective. This indicates a goodly 
percentage of active members, a pretty well equalized degree of 
activity, and a reasonable amount of genuinely objective work. 
For a literary or musical club this record would not be remark¬ 
able; for a nature club it was certainly phenomenal. 


IT GETS A TRANSIENT HOME 

Fifteen months after the club started it united with the Vil¬ 
lage Library Association and the Y. M. C. A., in furnishing and 
maintaining “Village Rooms” in an old building which had once 
been a hotel—the Hotel Hartland. 

The rent was divided among the three organizations, the 
nature club’s portion being ten dollars a year! The rooms, which 
had been occupied by a tinsmith, were renovated, with great en¬ 
thusiasm. Members and friends contributed materials and work, 
money and furniture. Two dollars were spent for a show case 
and table, and chairs were bought; to a wainscot rail was added a 
shelf for drawings and collections. Decorations were in green 
and white with green curtains and hangings of burlap. Mr. Under¬ 
wood gave a bookcase, and the library came into being. 

Four months after the founding of this library a librarian 
was elected, and now she administers 60 volumes and many bul¬ 
letins, magazines and reports—not to speak of the original papers 
in the Club’s archives. 

Yet is literary expression, and still more literary impression, 
but a by-product of the Club’s business. With the founding of 
the library came the beginning of the herbarium. For this work 
uniform mounting paper was purchased of the Cambridge Botan¬ 
ical Supply Co., and paid for out of the general fund. Some 
members discovered, some collected, some mounted specimens at 
home with strips of gummed paper, and some came together for 
all-day work meetings. Where is the pen to chronicle even one 
of these meetings ? 


IT GIVES A BANQUET 

In Hotel Hartland was a dance hall with a spring floor, and 
here the club’s first banquet was held. Forty-four members and 
guests were present. The hall was decorated with evergreens 



4 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


and holly and many specimens of the work of members were 
exhibited on the walls. These included: 

A collection of birds painted in water color by Mrs. Morgan; 
Ferns collected by Mr. Rugg; 

Pressed flowers, including some not hitherto known as from Ver¬ 
mont, collected by the club; 

Mosses, presented to the club by Miss Darling; 

Tree leaves, shown by Miss Hattie M. Smith; 

Mounted butterflies shown by Mr. Phineas W. Whiting; 

Minerals of Hartland, shown by Mr. B. P. Ruggles. 

Grasses and sedges. 

Letters were read from Ernest Harold Baynes and from 
President Ezra Brainerd, of the Vermont Botanical Club. 

The sub-editors of various special subjects reported on their 
specialties: astronomy, insects, plants, geology. 105 different 
birds were reported, several of which were new to the locality. 
A special study had been made of a worm that had been at work 
in local sugar places. Thirty plants new to town lists had been 
found, and several had been added to the flora of the state. 

Short encouraging and stimulating addresses were made by 
Rev. Charles Echterbecker of Windsor, Mr. Phineas W. Whiting 
of Dartmouth College, Rev. O. D. Clapp of the local Methodist 
church, Rev. C. 0. Gill of the Congregational church, and Mr. 
A. J. Hoisington of the Hartland Grange. 


IT ATTAINS SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS 
At the second banquet, a year later, the club reported having 
taken its second step; it had begun to influence the town educa¬ 
tionally, thru the children. At an Arbor Day celebration com¬ 
petitive essays about trees were written by children for prizes, 
and competitive work was done in collecting and classifying tree 
buds and tree bark. The adult population had also been edu¬ 
cated by public illustrated lectures, notably one on ferns, one 
on the herring-gull and one, in connection with the Y. M. C. A., 
by Edward Avis on bird songs. 

The Rev. F. K. Brown, pastor of the Congregational church, 
at this point burlesqued the public doings of the Club in the 
Congregationalist, thus adding to its prestige. He hit cleverly 
at various outstanding features and described among others a 
much bespectacled male member who had on exhibition over 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


5 


one hundred specimens of grasses and sedges, and who showed 
a paternal interest in everybody and everything. 

Thus at the end of its second year the Club became conscious 
of its own beginnings, and the world outside of Hartland became 
conscious of the Club. 


ITS ANCESTORS 

The club has been, as is every organism, the product of its 
ancestors and its environment. 

Like water which seeps through the soil after a rain to 
bubble forth at another level as a spring, love for nature and 
interests in natural phenomena had permeated the hearts and 
minds of Vermonters as an inheritance from their ancestors 
and fore-runners. 

It was encouraged by the little red schoolhouse and by the 
old academies which stamped upon the people of Vermont a 
scholarly impression. Says Cady, “Bucolic yet academic are 

Vermont villages-with entire streets of homes in every one 

of which dwells some person familiar with Virgil and on friendly 
terms with Horace” - - 

There, for instance, was the Green Mountain Liberal Insti¬ 
tute, later the Green Mountain Perkins Academy, at South 
Woodstock. It did much to stimulate interest along scientific 
lines by the fine training it gave under the leadership of wise 
and sympathetic men, notably Dr. J. S. Lee, its principal during 
the Civil War period. 

Students from this institution became teachers of our rural 
schools; and private schools were often taught by them for a 
few weeks in the winter. They aroused here and there an in¬ 
terest in astronomy, geology, or zoology. The occasion of their 
thus teaching was their poverty—a poverty that became to us 
riches. High ideals and the spirit of learning was the rule 
among them. So when in due course the Nature Club took 
shape, there was good soil for its growth. 

There are lively traditions of a uniquely humorous farmer 
named Luther Damon, who had a fine farm near the Windsor 
line, and who was noted for “sayings”. He had a son named 
William, and a daughter named Elizabeth. It is recorded that 
he took William on a trip to Boston, and that the boy saw there 
Aquarial Hall. Whether Elizabeth went along is apparently 
not known. But the two young Damons became pioneers in 



6 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


aquarium studies in America. Elizabeth was one of the first 
persons in the United States to maintain a fresh water aquarium, 
and William, who thru his vocation was identified, as part 
owner and as credit man, with the Tiffany jewelry house of 
New York, made a career thru his avocation also, as a natural¬ 
ist. Barnum, in 1863, acquired the Boston Aquarial Gardens. A 
fishing smack was chartered, William Damon was placed in 
charge, Albert S. Bickmore was appointed collector, and they 
got over 600 fine specimens. The trip led to the publication of 
Damon's book, “Ocean Wonders”, to the popularity of Bermuda 
as a resort for Americans, to the later career of Bickmore for 
a quarter of a century as Curator of Education in the Natural 
History Museum of New York, to the establishment of the New 
York City Aquarium, now at Battery Park, and to the building 
of the present comfortable quarters of the Hartland Nature 
Club, as shall herein after be related. 

The club member, already mentioned as facetiously des¬ 
cribed by Dr. Brown in the Congregationalist, was Byron P. 
Ruggles, a self-taught natural history student to whom the 
formation of the club probably meant more than to any one 
other person. He had in earlier days shared his lore and inter¬ 
ests with two other men of genius, Mr. W. F. English, the 
veteran inventor, and Mr. E. M. Goodwin, a teacher and collector. 
These three took “days off” together from farm or shop; they 
collected and exchanged specimens of minerals, shells, plants, 
birds' eggs and insects, and thus touched hands with far lands. 

Some members of the club had delightful memories of 
occasions when they had the privilege of seeing these collections. 
Who can measure the subtle influence of such opportunities? 

The club was a wonderful outlet to Mr. Ruggles. All recall 
with pleasure the joy that shone from his face when he pulled 
from a well-filled pocket one of his “short papers that would 
take only a very few minutes to read.” It always proved to be 
full of rare humor. 

His paper on Snail Swamp is one of the club's choicest 
possessions. My pleasantest recollection of him is of his con¬ 
ducting us through this swamp and the beautiful adjoining 
woodland. He knew every step of the way. From a life-time's 
association, inanimate things were to him animate. He knew 
and addressed trees, flowers and shrubs as if they understood 
him. He pointed here, to where a giant pine had fallen, reveal¬ 
ing its age by its annular rings; there, to where some rare 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


7 


fresh-water snail shell had ibeen discovered; and again, stooping 
down, he explained the formation of the swamp, and dug into 
the marl to show its whiteness and its depth. On the return 
trip he took us past his fern, known to the world of botanists 
thru him, and we received from his hands choice fronds from it, 
given as if the delights of nature were thereby made forever 
permanent to us. At such moments he showed the hidden 
springs of his joy in life. 

Another man of far reaching influence was the efficient 
town physician, Dr. D. F. Rugg. He was for several years 
Superintendent of Schools also, and during his official visits to 
classes he was able to transmit to appreciative students some¬ 
thing of his own rare gift of observing the unusual in both 
nature and literature. His son, Harold Goddard Rugg, possesses 
many of his father’s characteristics, and is a valuable club 
member. 


ITS ENVIRONMENT 

Yet, though there had been none of these leaders the 
Hartland Nature Club must have been. For few regions have 
greater gifts of beauty and diversity than are found in the 
thirty square miles which make the town of Hartland. And 
as for the state— 

“They ain’t too green, they ain’t too gray, 

They ain’t too high or dry or small; 

They’re awful pretty in the Spring, 

But prettier in the fiery fall; 

And they’re so smooth that you can farm 
Clear up to snow line if you want, 

Which isn't true of any hills 

In any place except Vermont.” 

And the varied features of the town, from its highest 
point, Garvin Hill, over 1,800 feet high, to the terraced plains 
of the Connecticut River, have been explored and partially 
charted by the Nature Club. 

Some of the features studied are: 

Water: 

Sumner’s Falls—Connecticut River 
Ottauquechee Falls—North Hartland 



8 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


Ottauquechee River and branches 
Lull Brook and branches 
Glacial ponds 
Artificial ponds 


Swamps: 
Hart Island 
Steele swamp 
Spruce swamp 
Webster swamp 

Hills: 

Garvin 

Barron 

Webster 

Cornhill 

Bates 

Davis 


Weed swamp 
Lamb bog 
Eshqua bog 
Bashan bog 

Scott 

Hall 

Hendrick 
Mt. Hunger 
Sunset Ridge 
Morrison Heights 


Mt. Ascutney, visible from almost every point in town, is 
our most inspiring height, and Admiral Folger says it is next 
to Fujiyama, the most beautiful peak an the world. 

Lowlands and Intermediates: 


“The Plain” 

Terraces 

Bluffs 

Foothills 

Ravines and Glens: 

Jenneville 

Mill Gorge 

Martinsville 

Depot 

Nathan Harlow 

Finley 

Ledges: 

Hemenway 

Labaree 


The varied character of the physical features of the region, 
indicated by their mere names, produces a flora and fauna of 
rare diversity and of great interest, as programs and collections 
show. 


CO-OPERATIONS AND BENEFACTIONS 
From the beginning the club has received co-operation and 
aid from many sources. 

The most notable of its gifts is that of a home. Until 




DAMON HALL 






































































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HARTLAND VERMONT 


9 


April, 1914, the Village Rooms were occupied, but soon after 
this date the building, then about 125 years old, was taken 
down to give place to a new Town Hall. This was called Damon 
Hall. It was built as a memorial to Luther and' Betsey Thayer 
Damon and their children, especially Wiliam Emerson Damon, 
whose influence in other scientific ventures of world-wide im¬ 
portance has been told. 

After the original plan of Damon Hall was completed, two 
more rooms, to serve as permanent quarters for the Nature 
Club and the Historical Society, were added. Mrs. W. E. Damon 
and Miss Lizzie E. Lamb were especially interested in this 
project, though the gift was from all the heirs, including the 
children of Urias and Harriet Cotton Damon, the children of 
John and Lucy Damon Lamb, and the children of Merritt and 
Lavinia Damon Penniman. 

These two added rooms are at the rear of the main building 
behind the stage and over the kitchen, with a separate entrance 
and a separate furnace. They are so divided by an archway 
that they are really one room, 40 by 18 feet. 

The club has received aid in many other ways also, notably 
from the Vermont State Botanical and Bird Club, the Univer¬ 
sity of Vermont, the Northeastern Federation of Scientific Clubs, 
and the Meriden Bird Club. 

Miss Elizabeth Billings of Woodstock and New York se¬ 
cured for several summers Professor A. P. Morse of Wellesley 
College to conduct natural history classes in Woodstock, for 
both young people and adults. His attendance at several of the 
Nature Club meetings gave a great impetus to our work. Miss 
Billings herself is an active club member and has shared with 
the club her fine collections. 

Others among the many who have helped us are: 

Mr. Ernest Harold Baynes by lectures and letters; Super¬ 
intendent E. L. Ingalls, by co-operations of the schools, especial¬ 
ly in Arbor Day observances; Mr. Charles Sheldon, by lectures; 
Mrs. H. P. Starkweather, of Florida, by specimens of Florida 
ferns, plants, and seeds; Mrs. A. T. Hurd of Huntington, Long 
Island, by gifts of money and mounted specimens; Mrs. M. C. S. 
Symonds of the same place, by gifts of books, photographs, 
specimens, and paintings; Mr. Karl A. Pember of Woodstock, 
by talks and photographs (Mr. Pember probably has the finest 
series of Duck Hawks’ eggs and photographs of the birds in 
existence); Mr. Richard Marble of Woodstock, iby talks on 



10 HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


scientific forestry and by naming and classifying birds; Mrs. 
Mary W. Moore of Woodstock, by clever imitation of bird notes; 
Miss Elsie M. Kittredge, of New York Botanic Gardens, by 
talks, photographs and collections; Dr. Edward Williams, jr. of 
Woodstock, former professor of geology at Lehigh University, by 
talks and gifts; Mi\ John Cotton Dana, summer resident of 
Woodstock, Librarian of the Public Library and Director of the 
Museum of Newark, New Jersey, who provides the opportunity 
of publishing this report. 

Scientists, lecturers, college professors, teachers, farmers 
and special students have spoken before the club: 

Dr. Ezra Brainerd, President of the State Botanical Club; 
Mr. J. H. Emerton of the New England Federation of Scientific 
Clubs; Mr. E. H. Baynes, President of the Meriden Bird Club; 
Dr. Frederick S. Lee, of Columbia University; Mr. Harold 
Bailey, Assistant Secretary of Agriculture; State Forester Hawes 
of Burlington; Mr. Charles Sheldon of the U. S. Biological 
Survey; Mr. G. Whittier Fuller, reptile expert; Mrs. Chase of 
Lyndonville, school gardens expert; Professor Griggs, of Dart¬ 
mouth, a successful photographer of birds; Rev. C. 0. Gill, show¬ 
ing lantern slides from the work of W. A. Bentley, Jericho 
Center, “the one man in the world who has made a success of 
photographing snow-flakes”; Mr. Byron P. Ruggles, on many 
subjects, from butter making to the number of quail referred 
to in Numbers xi., 31 and 33. “And the people stood up all 
that day, and they gathered the quails; he that gathered least 
gathered ten homers.” 

Association with other clubs of like interests has proven 
helpful. A meeting was held with the State Botanical and Bird 
Club, with social events, field meetings, and lectures; a program 
was presented before the Woman’s Club of Windsor; the Meri¬ 
den Bird Club entertained us at the home of Winston Churchill 
in Cornish; a class of young girls from Windsor, under the name 
of “Mother Nature Studies”, joined us, bringing new life and 
interest to our work.' 


DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS 

* v \j ! • ■ • 

After the club was formed it was found that many people 
had been interested for years in some branch of nature study 
and were ready to come forward with contributions on a wide 
range of subjects. Thereupon a method of work was established 




HARTLAND VERMONT 


11 


that had as its keynote originality. It soon became evident that, 
to make our work comprehensive, we should establish depart¬ 
ments, each under the leadership of Editor and sub-editors, for 
the study of Astronomy, Animals, Birds, Insects, Plants, Miner¬ 
als, Microscopy, and that we should put out a yearly bulletin to 
record observations in these departments. 

The desire of the club to share its work with others led to 
the yearly banquet, at which members and friends not only pre¬ 
pared and provided the food, decorated the hall and put up the 
exhibits, but also gave outsiders the opportunity, under attrac¬ 
tive conditions, to hear speakers and the reading of the bulletin. 

The custom of holding banquets continued until 1915. It 
was then thought best to hold the annual meeting in August 
when weather conditions and many summer friends combined 
for its success, with a picnic dinner, a roll-call to which each 
member responded with a fitting observation, and an exhibit 
with a special speaker when possible. 

As the years went on the club spent more time in the open 
and felt the importance of knowing thoroughly the natural 
history of specific places and of studying one phase of a subject. 
For example, it studied, in 1921, “Bogs, with ecological observa¬ 
tions”. This type of work is broader and in some ways better 
than our former more casual method. It was adopted partly 
because members had, under war conditions, less leisure to do 
original work and to write papers. The war suspended the Club’s 
work entirely for one year and interfered with it seriously for 
three. Our experience has emphasized the fact that “country 
leisure” which includes long winter evenings with good books, 
plenty of specimens collected throughout the year, walks and 
talks with congenial friends and absence of pressing financial 
matters, are important factors in the success of a nature club. 

It has also been shown that a few good students, who look 
upon their investigations as a component part of a life-time’s 
work, are necessary to hold an organization of this kind together. 

The assignment of definite subjects for study has produced 
good results. Individuals have been given subjects such as 
plant families—ferns, grasses, orchids, violets, etc.; bird fam¬ 
ilies—sparrows, warblers, etc.; how to recognize common moths 
and butterflies; injurious insects, etc. In studying the last sub¬ 
ject we had the help of Phineas P. Whiting, who bred flies, 
wasps, and animals to prove certain laws of genetics. Special 
interests of members are, of course, consulted. For instance, 



12 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


the work in microscopy has been mainly observation of fresh 
water algae, by Mrs. Lucia Hazen Wlebster. 

This custom of definite treatment of special topics has led 
to some permanent contributions to the natural history of both 
town and state. 

Some of the subjects follow: 

Land and Water Shells of Hartland—B. P. Ruggles 
Windsor County Game, with collective paper on Hunting 
Tales—J. P. Webster 

Rare Local Birds—Mrs. Pearl E. Underwood 
The Flora of Seven Upland Ponds—Miss Nancy Darling 
Algae—Life in a Drop of Water—Mrs. Lucia H. Webster 
Dye Plants of Hartland—Mrs. Helen H. Durphey 
Berries of Hartland, edible and poisonous—Mrs. Della D. 
Merritt 

Recipes using Wild Fruits—Miss Laura Nelson 
Snow-shoes and Nature—Lee H. Graham 
Tracks and Trails and Nature Study in Winter, with photo¬ 
graphs—Mrs. E. D. Morgan 

Baskets, with exhibit of examples—Mrs. Winifred Spear 
Children’s Gardens—Miss Dora T. Penniman 
The Flora and Fauna of Hart Island—J. G. Underwood 
Camera Studies—Miss Hattie M. Smith 
What is Ecology?—Miss Elizabeth Billings 
The Photographing of Flowers, with illustrations—Miss 
Elsie M. Kittredge 

The Ferns of Hartland, with exhibit—H. G. Rugg 
The Winter Birds—Mrs. Mary B. Gates 
Native Trees, Shrubs and Flowers suitable for landscape 
gardening—Miss Emeline Webster 
Uses of our Trees: For Fuel and Timber—Miss May E. 

Rogers; For Food—Miss Marion Webster 
Bird Music—Miss Florence H. Sturtevant 
Shrubs that I Know—Miss Nina Martin 
Wasps—Mrs. Anna B. Spalding 
Some Rodents in Hartland'—D. C. Webster 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


13 


SOME CUSTOMS 

The celebration of Arbor Day has been mentioned. Besides 
the holding of co-operative exercises and the giving of prizes for 
essays and collections by pupils, tree and shrub planting, grading 
and beautifying of school grounds have been encouraged. Ways 
for individual schools to celebrate the day have been suggested 
and an Arbor Day program, obtained through the courtesy of Mr. 
W. E. Ranger, Commissioner of Education for Rhode Island, 
has been distributed. 

The custom among Club members of feeding birds in winter 
has been so general as to cause their example to be followed by 
many others. Some have built feed stations and some simply 
hang out a basket in which seeds and suet are placed. One 
woman conceived the idea of heating a large freestone in the 
coldest weather and placing food upon it where her little bird 
friends could be warmed as well as fed! In time of heavy 
spring snows many scatter chaff for seed-eating birds, or put 
out chopped suet, hard boiled eggs, bread crumbs soaked in milk, 
or boiled salt pork for birds like robins and blue birds. 

Pamphlets have been distributed on the protection of native 
plants; and when walks have been conducted 1 by the Club, the 
policy has been not to collect specimens by pulling them up by 
the root. One member saves all bird specimens that have been 
found dead or injured and makes bird skins of them. 

A teacher of experience took charge of school gardens dur¬ 
ing the war. An exhibition from them was conducted by the 
Club, ribbons being awarded for vegetables, flowers, canned 
goods, sewing, embroideries, knitting and drawings. One of 
the most successful of these occasions was on “Old Home Day” 
when we had a large attendance. 

TYPICAL MEETINGS 

It may truthfully be said that there was never yet a dull 
meeting of the Club, whether there were two or fifty present. 

The places of meeting have been greatly varied: the sun 
parlor of the Underwoods, the bright garden at the Darling 
homestead, Fairview with its summer visitors and its lovely 
outlook, Quechee Gulf, Catamount Ledge, Hart Island—each of 
these names calls up a picture of past delights. 

In accepting the invitation of Charles Sheldon of Wood- 
stock on July 14, 1916, to come to his summer home for luncheon 



14 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


and an illustrated lecture, the Nature Club gained a rare treat. 
The social hour was spent on the beautiful veranda, and then 
the guests were invited into a room where stereopticon views 
were shown. The slides were made from Mr. Sheldon’s own 
photographs taken at Mt. McKinley, Alaska, and on his expedi¬ 
tion through parts of Colorado and New Mexico. He studied the 
life and habits of animals found in those regions, principally 
the Alaskan grizzly bear and the mountain sheep. Some of his 
experiences were unique and thrilling. Mr. Sheldon’s quest is 
always that of the naturalist, and his researches are original 
and aggressive. 

* At the joint meeting of the Vermont Bird Club and the 
Nature Club, September 13, 1913: 

Miss Elizabeth Billings entertained the two clubs at her 
home, “The Hill”, lunch being served on the tennis court, and 
the afternoon session held in the music room where were exhib¬ 
ited a comprehensive collection of insects taken in Woodstock, 
of grasses, and an artistic display of mushrooms modeled in 
plaster. 

At the close of the meeting the members visited Miss Bill¬ 
ings’ fernery. A delightful walk to the golf house where we 
saw an interesting collection of mounted birds, closed the day. 

September 4, 1915: 

The Cream Pot, so called, is on the J. S. Darling farm, 
a short distance from the Wallace Rodgers place. In former 
days two houses at least stood in this beautiful basin. Through 
it a trout stream flows, fed by springs from surrounding hills. 
Tradition has it that formerly a Mr. Doton lived there with 
eight lovely daughters. 

A winding road leads to a spot where the house probably 
stood, and where the remains of a barn cellar can still be seen. 
To this region migrating birds flock in large numbers, and 
warblers, sparrows, thrushes, young indigo birds, ( flickers and 
hawks have there been seen. Mrs. C. C. Spalding read an 
instructive paper on Wasps, contributed to by Mrs. Janet D. 
Eaton, Mrs. Evaline S. Rogers, Miss Emeline Webster and Miss 
Gladys Bagley. Mrs. Evaline D. Morgan’s paper on Spiders 
was fully illustrated by specimens mounted in alcohol, by live 
spiders and by drawings and photographs. Members were 
invited to observe specimems under the microscope, and this 
added much interest to the subject. 



HARTLAND VERMONT J5 


August 10, 1912: 

It is gratifying to chronicle the success of the Club’s 
August picnic at Sumner’s Falls. Thirty-six adults, mostly 
members, and sixteen children enjoyed the natural beauties of 
this interesting place. Fishing, botanizing, insect hunting, and 
the picnic dinner gave pleasure to the members and their young 
guests. The Club was especially glad to welcome Professor Morse 
of Wellesley, an honorary member, and to have him address the 
meeting. Two interesting papers—The Catbird and! the Thrasher, 
and The Message of the Birds, were given by Mrs. Durphey and 
Miss Sturtevant. Mrs. Lucia Webster gave an amusing account 
of the effort of a catbird to learn the thrasher’s song. For the 
benefit of the children Miss Darling showed and described many 
interesting specimens and Mrs. Morgan exhibited some of her 
bird skins. 

December 11, 1915: 

The Nature Club met for the first time in the beautiful 
new rooms in Damon Hall. It was voted th&t the Secretary send 
letters of thanks to Miss Lizzie Lamb and to Mrs. W. E. Damon, 
to whom this home for the club is due; to Mrs. W. F. Gile for 
specimens of native woods collected and labelled by her husband; 
and to Mr. B. P. Ruggles for several of his collections given to 
the Club. 

The question of furnishing the rooms was discussed, and 
arrangements made for purchasing some of the things needed. 
The papers of the day were Camera Studies, by Miss Hattie M. 
Smith and Scientific Discoveries, by Mr. Ruggles. 

From Vermont Botanical and Bird Club Bulletin, 1919: 

“Four Summer Meetings of the Hartland Nature Club: 
The first was held in June at ‘The Highlands,’ when the Wood- 
stock Bird Club was a guest of the Nature Club. Karl A. Pem- 
ber showed and described a large collection of birds’ eggs, started 
25 years ago. His talk, partly reminiscent, was highly enter¬ 
taining as well as instructive. Mrs. Mary Moore imitated bird 
notes as different birds were mentioned and eggs shown. 

“Harold Rugg gave an illustrated talk on The Hardy Fern 
Border, the specimens of English varieties of the lady-fern being 
especially interesting. 

“An expert, Mr. George Barrus, in charge of blister rust 
control in New England, explained the pine tree blight, advising 



16 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


that all currant and gooseberry bushes in the vicinty of pine 
plantations be destroyed. 

“In July many nature lovers gathered in the garden at 
Miss Darling's home where she gave a delightful talk on a col¬ 
lection of Alpine plants that Rev. S. G. Spear collected in 
Switzerland, as he and a friend tramped through the mountains. 

“By means of an illustrated work on Alpine plants presented 
to the Club by Mrs. Symonds of Huntington, L. L, she was able 
to classify all the species, numbering about 80, into 33 families. 

“Several guests who had traveled in England and Switzer¬ 
land gave personal observations that added much to the occasion." 

The Club’s annual meeting in August, 1916, which now takes 
the form of a picnic and roll-call, was held in Hartland village 
on the lawn of the Steele estate. 

“Miss Sturtevant read an interesting and comprehensive 
report of the year’s work, and letters were read from absent 
members. 

“Miss Kittredge, collecting for Miss Billings, showed several 
plant specimens, rare in Vermont. 

“At roll-call each member responded with some observation 
of interest. J. G. Underwood, fresh from a trip with Mr. 
Winslow and Mr. Rugg for additional stations for Aspidium 
Filix-mas, reported that this fern seems to grow in the vicinity 
of butternut trees and at a high elevation. 

“The picnic table was decorated in patriotic colors. 

“The September and October meetings, in 1918 were combined 
and by invitation met with Mrs. Mary W. Moore of Woodstock. 

“Mrs. Evaline D. Morgan read a paper on Definite Ecological 
Studies which gave a careful exposition of the plants, animals 
and insects with their inter-relations as observed at ‘The High¬ 
lands’ for the past nine years. It was fully illustrated by fresh 
and mounted specimens, and conveyed a clear idea of what is 
meant by the word ecology. 

“Mrs. W. E. Mack, who has a large herb garden, made her 
paper on Garden Herbs, Their Culture and Use, highly instruc¬ 
tive on account of actual experience, and a basket heaped high 
with bunches of fragrant herbs brought out many exclamations 
of wonder and pleasure. 

“Contributions by members included Mithridates paste, a 
compound of rue, juniper berries, figs and walnuts; rose conserve; 
rose drops, and articles flavored with mint. These gave spice to 
the meeting, which was one of the most delightful ever held.” 




HARTLAND VERMONT 


17 


On July 16, 1921, the Club held its annual meeting at North 
Hartland, where observations were made above and below the 
Falls, where the Ottauquechee nears the Connecticut. Above, 
the quiet stream is bordered by green meadows, inlets, shady 
tangles, fine trees. Here, the little green and night heron, the 
kingfisher and spotted sandpiper, the red-winged blackbird and 
olive-sided fly-catcher find a home. In the water float three 
species of pond-weed, one as feathery as a sea-weed; while 
along the stream grow tall iris, arrowhead, St. John’s wort, 
closed gentian, wild forget-me-not, the lovely Habenaria fim- 
briata as well as the more common purple fringed, orchis- 
psychodes, dainty lobelia, yellow loosestrife, false pimpernel, 
skull-cap, monkey flower, and an uncommon purple-flowered 
potentilla. Near at hand in the mossy meadow among beds of 
yellow myrtle and pennywort, was found a new station for one 
of the rare fern allies—selanginella apus. 

In places the shores are bordered by rocky cliffs, the most 
picturesque of which forms the falls by the Ottauquechee Woolen 
Mills. Below, the stream divides to make a peninsula and sandy 
flats, where vegetation shows decided contrasts to that above 
the falls. 

Near the water’s edge, and sometimes growing entirely 
procumbent, the spreading dogbane flourishes; nearby are tangles 
of Joe-Pye and jewel weed, tall aster and giant golden rod, 
purple and white vervain, and a rare hybrid of the two, nettles, 
showy grasses, and willows covered with wild grape and wood¬ 
bine. 

On the peninsula, the center of which is completely matted 
with horsetail, grow elms, silver and ash-leaved maples, ground 
nut and wild peanut, pale-leaved smartweed, a striking hedge- 
nettle known as wound wort, and, loveliest of all, great masses 
of the swamp milkweed, upon which were feeding swarms of the 
golden wasp, black hornet, bumble bee, milkweed beetle, silver- 
spot butterfly and the showy lycomorpha moth in black and 
yellow. 

By the banks of the Connecticut, near the confluence of the 
two rivers, were found the dainty flowered buttercup ranunculus 
Flammula, var. reptans, an interesting spurge, several sedges and 
bright patches of tick trefoil. 

The day was perfect. Cool breezes and bright sunshine add¬ 
ed charm to this varied region which yielded to its explorers a 
list of 55 plants, 12 mosses, 18 birds, 12 insects. 



18 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


June 24, 1923: 

“The Gravel Pit” is a well-known landmark at the ap¬ 
proach of Hartland village, and here the Club assembled to hear 
a fascinating bit of earth’s story read by Dr. Edward Williams, 
jr., from the various strata of pebbles that this partially exca¬ 
vated pit reveals so strikingly. Gravel of varying degrees of 
coarseness and fineness with corresponding variation in pitch 
show, as Dr. Williams explained, that these deposits were brought 
by tremendous river currents of differing speed. That many 
pebbles came from a distance was shown by those of granite 
from Bethel and hornblend schist from Hanover, N. H. Others 
showed examples of weathering indicating sudden changes in 
temperature, gash veins where potash had dissolved quartz, 
cementing of fine stones on larger ones by carbonate of lime, 
stones showing rotted garnets, mica in a great variety of color¬ 
ing, and an endless variety showing spheroidal weathering, 
progress in weathering and iron staining. 

In the afternoon the meeting was adjourned to the Club 
room where each one had an opportunity to have identified the 
specimens collected in their individual localities. Then at the 
close, as a happy surprise, Dr. Williams presented the Club with 
a beautiful collection of minerals and added to its value by 
explaining each specimen as it was unwrapped. A most enthus¬ 
iastic vote of thanks was extended to Dr. Williams for making 
this meeting so uniquely valuable and interesting. 


May 19, 1923: 

The rallying point for this meeting was the Bates 
schoolhouse where Miss Mary Blood, teacher, and several of her 
pupils welcomed the members and friends of the Club in their 
attractive schoolroom, and shortly after acted as guides on a 
walk which first led to a sphagnum meadow through which a 
clear brook, bordered thickly with marsh marigolds, wound in and 
out under great willows, and making a never-to-be-forgotten 
picture in the bright May sunshine. Nearby on a dry hillside 
were countless beds of checkerberry, heavily fruited, where all 
paused to feast, and to listen to the rare note of the solitary 
vireo. Five kinds of violets, many of them in great masses, 
studded the pastures, warblers were numerous and tame, and 
were observed at close range. On the homeward way a pond fed 
by living springs and tucked away under a protecting hill was 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


19 


visited, and the unusual and delightful discovery of four solitary 
sandpipers was made. The possibility that these rare birds might 
linger at this point to nest was still more alluring. Among the 
birds that were evidently doing so were the kingbird, red-winged 
blackbird, song and swamp sparrows, and the Maryland yellow- 
throat. A beautiful maple grove just off the Quechee road was 
chosen for the afternoon meeting, and here, seated on mossy 
knolls, the Club was highly instructed and entertained by an 
illustrated paper on Spiders’ Homes by Mrs. Pearl E. Underwood. 
An unusual number of interesting reports of spring birds were 
given; Dora and Lucia Webster reported destroying 100 nests 
of the tent caterpillar; Mrs. Morgan read a delightful paper 
written by Mr. A. D. Cotton on “What branch of Nature Study 
d'o I like best?”; a new member, Mrs. Deane McArthur, was 
voted in; and after a leisurely walk back to the schoolhouse, 
good-byes were said and new routes were chosen leading home 
from the Bates neighborhood. 


SOME VALUABLE PRODUCTS 
From meetings of the character of those just described have 
arisen certain permanent results, among which may be named: 

A check list of Herbarium specimens 

The Orchids of Hartland 

The Ferns of Hartland 

Ecological Studies of Bogs and Swamps 

Seasonal Bird Chart 

Bird Skins and Bird Paintings 

Garden of Wild Vermont Plants 

Flora and Fauna of Snail Swamp 

Flora of Hart Island 

List of Hartland Animals 

Bird Music 

Collections and Books 

In writing of the work done by two of the Club’s most 
helpful members, Mr. Ruggles and Mrs. Hurd, I said, “It is the 
highest function of a nature club to discover real students and 
to turn to service and inspiration the knowledge and material 



20 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


collected by them that might otherwise be lost.” And I might 
add that such an organization stands for the development of an 
idealism whose value cannot be formulated. 

This Club has always been simply conducted. Anyone inter¬ 
ested in nature can join by paying 50 cents a year. When 
special needs have arisen, money has been given or subscribed to 
meet extra expenses. 

What the policy of the future shall be must be determined 
with each passing year. There is no doubt that its collected 
material offers an interesting field of usefulness, and the best 
that it has accomplished is to have awakened the spirit of 
inquiry along the lines of natural history to such an extent that 
never a month passes that some interesting query, specimen or 
contribution is not sent to the Club for its answer, identification 
or acceptance. During its fifteen years of existence, it has had 
in all a membership of 117, numbering today 40 active members. 
It records with gratitude the generous help of friends, scientific 
workers and interested townspeople—it looks FORWARD. 

PROGRAMS OF MEETINGS, 1907-08 
December, 1907 The Winter Birds—Mrs. Gates 

January, 1908 The Visible Constellations—Miss Sturtevant 

February Windsor County Game—John P. Webster 
Collective paper: Hunting Tales—Mrs. Ward 

March Preliminary Studies of Mosses—Miss Darling 

Collective paper: Reviews of Scientific Books—Miss Smith 

April Nature in Spring, Spring Birds—Miss Dunsmore 
Spring Flowers—Miss Helen Sturtevant 
Butterflies—Mr. Underwood 
Discussion 

May Rare Local Birds—Mrs. Underwood 

Collective paper: Bird Biographies—Mrs. Spaulding 

June Orchid Acquaintances—Mrs. Lucia H. Webster 
Collective paper: Plant Studies—Miss Penniman 

July A Few Insect Enemies—Mr. Underwood 

Collective paper: Personal Reminiscences on Insects—Miss 
Nelson 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


21 


August Notes, Questions and Discussions on these subjects: 
Birds: Leader, Miss Evaline Darling 
Plants: Leader, Miss Darling 
Insects: Leader, Mr. Buggies 

September Hartland Soils and their Products, with exhibit—Mr. 
Ruggles 

October Ferns of Hartland, with exhibit—Mr. Rugg 

November Studies of Eastern and Western Birds—Miss Evaline 
Darling 

December Yearly Bulletin 

Editor in Chief, Miss Darling 
Sub-editors: 

Astronomy, Miss Sturtevant 
Animals, Mr. Gates 
Birds, Miss Evaline Darling 
Insects, Mr. Underwood 
Plants, Mr. Rugg 
Minerals, Mr. Ruggles 
Microscopy, Mrs. D. C. Webster 

PROGRAMIFOR 1923 - FIFTEENTH YEAR 

January Reading from Fabre, Comstock and Emerton on Spi¬ 
ders. Reading from ail available literature on Bluebird, and 
Thrush Family, to which it belongs. 

February iStudy of Providence (R. I.) Park Museum Bulletin on 
Spiders. Winter collecting of Spiders. Study of Crowfoot 
Family of plants. 

March Bird Banding, explained by H. G. Rugg. Common Spi¬ 
ders and How to Know Them—Miss Emeline Webster. 

April Information Meeting. Plants: Crowfoot Family—Mr. Un¬ 
derwood. Bird Skins and Spiders—Mrs. Morgan. Moths 
and Butterflies—Miss Nelson. 

May Bates Neighborhood. Voyage of discovery in all branches 
of Nature Study. Spiders' Homes, illustrated, Mrs. Under¬ 
wood in charge. 

June Meeting at “Paradise," Windsor. Walk for collections. 
Short talk on Spiders—Mrs. Morgan. Entertainment by 
Mother Nature Studies Auxiliary. 



22 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


July A real supper at Damon Hall with Roll-call and Business 
Meeting. Lantern slides on Spiders by J. H. Emerton at 
8 p. m. 

August Meeting at “The Acre” in Woodstock. Exhibition: Each 
member contributing along the line of special work. Bird 
Music interpreted by the Violin—Miss Margaret Wilder, 
Whistled—Miss Florence Sturtevant. Lecture to be an¬ 
nounced. 

September—Walk to observe Jumping Spiders and to make col¬ 
lections. Talk on Mollusks, Club rooms—Mrs. Lucia H. 
Webster. 

October Observation on Spiders by Junior Members. Exhibition 
of work done by whole Club on Spiders. Lecture to be an¬ 
nounced. 

November Resume of Year's Work on Crowfoot Family, the 
Bluebird and Thrush Family. Prize Essays awarded to 
Schools by Club read. 

December All-day work meeting. 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


23 


LIST OF MEMBERS 

C - Charter H - Honorary Jr - Junior 


Austin, Miss Laura (Jr) 
Baynes, Mr .Ernest Harold (H) 
Billings, Miss Elizabeth 
Bruce, Miss Eulola M. (Jr) 
Carr, Mr. Allen L. 

Cabot, Mr. Irving H. 

Chase, Miss Julia L. (C) 
Chase, Mrs. T. J. 

Chase, Mrs. Arthur 
Clapp, Rev. O. D. (C) 

Cotton, Mr. A. D. 

Cowles, Mr. Russell (C) 
Damon, Mrs. William E. (H) 
Darling, Mr. Charles E. (H) 
Darling, Mrs. Charles E. (H) 
Darling, Miss Nancy (C) 
Darling, Mrs. Jason S. 
Durphey, Mr. Fran kA. (C) 
Durphey, Mrs. Frank A. (C) 
Eaton, Mrs. Ellis F. 

Emery, Mr. Howard (Jr) 
Emery, Mr. Wesley (Jr) 
English, Mr. Ernest A. 
English, Mrs. Ernest A. 
Echterbecker, Rev. C. F. 
Emerton, Mr. J. H. (H) 
Fairbanks, Miss Lucy 
Foster, Miss Leonora (Jr) 
Fuller, Miss Evelyn F. 

Fuller, Mr. George W. 


Gates, Mr. Charles C. (C) 
Gates, Mrs. Charles C. (C) 
Gates, Miss Nellie M. (C) 

Gill, Rev. C. 0. (C) 

Gill, Mrs. C. 0. (C) 

Graham, Mr. Lee H. (C) 
Hapgood, Miss Evie M. 
Hoisington, Mr. Andrew C. 
Hoisington, Mrs. Andrew C. 
Hurd, Mrs. A. T. 

Ingalls, Mr. E. L. (C) 

Ingalls, Mrs. E. L. (C) 

Jenne, Mr. Nathaniel 
Jenne, Mrs. Nathaniel 
Jenne, Miss Ruth 
Johnston, Miss Jennie E. 
Kavanaugh, Miss Flora H. (Jr) 
Kavanaugh, Miss Nina (Jr) 
Kilner, Mrs. Samuel E. 
Kittredge, Miss Elsie M. 
Lamb, Miss Lizzie E. (H) 
Lamib, Clara A. (C) 

Lansing, Mrs. Mary P. (H) 
Lobdell, Miss Frances (C) 
Lobdell, Miss Ruth (C) 

Mack, Mrs. W. E. 

Marble, Mr. Richard M. 
Martin, Miss Nina (C) 
Merritt, Mrs. Lewis E. (C) 
McArthur, Mrs. Deane 




24 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


Merritt, Mr. Lewis E. (C) 
Merrill, Miss Marjorie (Jr) 
Miller, Mrs. James B. (C) 
Miles, Rev. H. A. 

Morgan, Mr. A. B. (C) 
Morgan, Mrs. A. B. (C) 
Morgan, Mrs. A. P. (H) 
Moore, Mrs. W. H. 

Morse, Prof. A. P. 

Myers, Mrs. Mary H. 

Nelson, Miss Laura (C) 

Peck, Miss Eleanor (Jr) 
Pember, Mr. Karl A. 

Pember, Mrs. Karl A. 
Penniman, Miss Dora T. (C) 
Perkins, Miss Lucy E. 

Porter, Miss Lou E. 

Reed, Mrs. Ida M. (C) 

Roger, Miss May E. 

Rogers, Miss Maxine L. (Jr) 
Rogers, Mrs. Pearl E. 

Rugg, Mr. Harold G. (C) 
Ruggles, Mr. Byron P. (C) 
Sheldon, Mr. Charles (H) 
Slack, Mrs. Earle M. 

Smith, Miss Hattie M. (C) 
Spalding, Mrs. Carroll C. (C) 
Spalding, Mr. Daniel B. (C.Jr) 
Spaulding, Mr. George L. 


Spear, Mrs. Frank G. 

Squires, Mrs. Florence E. 
Starkweather, Mrs. Harriet P. (H) 
Sturtevant, Mrs. Wilbur R. 
Sturtevant, Miss Florence H. (C) 
Sturtevant, Mrs. Nettie A. (C) 
Swift, Dr. H. H. (H) 
Symonds,Mrs. M. C. (H) 
Thomas, Mr. T. H. 

Tracy, Mrs. Ida 
Underwood, Mr. Jay G. (C) 
Underwood, Mrs. Jay G. (C) 
Walker, Mrs. Leslie I (C) 

Ward, Mrs. C. E. (C) 

Watkins, Miss Inez 
Watts, Miss Lydia (Jr) 

Webster, Mr. D. C. (C) 

Webster, Mrs. D. C. (C) 

Webster, Miss Dora T. (Jr) 
Webster, Miss Lucia H. (Jr) 
Webster, Miss Sarah (Jr) 
Webster, Mr. John P. (C) 
Webster, Mrs. John P. (C) 
Webster, Miss Marion (C) 
Webster, Miss Emeline (C) 
Whiting, Dr. Phineas W. (C) 
Whiting, Mrs. Phineas W. 
Williams, Dr. Edward H. jr. (H) 
Wills, Mrs. Alice S. 




HARTLAND VERMONT 


25 


CONSTITUTION AND AMENDMENTS 
(Abridged) 

CONSTITUTION 

Art. 1. This association shall be known as the Hartland 
Nature Club. 

Art. 2. Its object is to promote friendly intercourse among 
students of nature in Hartland, and to secure a more thorough 
knowledge of the Natural History of Hartland. 

Art. 3. Officers: President, Vice-President and Secretary- 
Treasurer, to be chosen annually. 

Art. 4. Meetings: At the discretion of officers. 

Art. 5. A student of nature may become a member of the 
association by signing this constitution. 

A member who neither attends a regular meeting of this 
Club nor presents a paper for two consecutive years becomes 
liable thereby to forfeiture of membership and his name may be 
stricken from the roll of members at the discretion of the officers. 

Art. 6. This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds 
vote at any regular meeting provided the amendment has been 
proposed at a previous meeting. 


AMENDMENTS 

A student of nature proposed for membership by an active 
member may be elected a member at any regular meeting. 

Scientists and students may be elected Honorary Members if 
their names are proposed and seconded by members. 

Membership shall be divided into the following classes: 
active, associate and honorary. 

Active members shall write papers as requested by Execu¬ 
tive Committee. 

Associate members shall not be required to write papers, 
but shall be expected to attend meetings and report observations. 




28 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


color or composition. Among the local rocks of Woodstock 
and vicinty there are no elastics. The freshly broken face 
of a piece of clastic feels like sand-paper of the grade shown 
by the size of the grains in the rock. Clastics will thus be 
foreigners, and will be found in the glacial deposits. 

2. A light bricklayer’s hammer with a square face is the best 
one for breaking off and dressing specimens. The long and 
chisel-like end is excellent for digging into loose deposits, as well 
as for cutting into soft and decomposed rocks to obtain un¬ 
weathered specimens. 

3. A good collection contains both weathered and fresh specimens 
of rocks, if possible to collect. 

4. Rocks containing prominently crystallized minerals may re¬ 
quire larger specimens to show the prevalence or scarceness of 
the enclosures. 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


29 



HARTLAND VERMONT 













30 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


SNAIL SWAMP 1911. Byron P. Buggies 
(Original Paper.) 

Snail Swamp is at the southeast corner of my farm. There 
are about two acres of it on my land; an acre or more of it on 
the farm south of mine, and! on that land there is a small stream 
running into the swamp part of the year. There are about 
two acres of the swamp on land east of mine, and the outlet 
is at that part of the swamp, from whence runs a small stream 
to Lulls Brook at the English Dam. 

When the last Glacial Period was past, the coldest or middle 
part of which was thirty-one thousand years ago, and the water 
had settled away, making valleys for the rivers and streams and 
small brooks, there were left many small and some large ponds 
in depressions or low places that did not get drained because 
of the underlying rock or hard-pan of clay filled with stones, 
and Snail Swamp was one of these ponds underlain with hard- 
pan. 

At first the water was filled with soil, pulverized rocks and 
stones and a sediment of blue clay settled at the bottom of the 
pond six or eight inches deep. Time went on and on; the water 
being limy from the limestone rocks so abundant, a carbonate 
of lime sediment, called marl, settled in the pond and in time 
nearly filled it. 

Animal and vegetable life appeared. The water snail thrived 
where he found plenty of lime to make his shells of. Trees and 
shrubbery grew, and 1 leaves fell in the pond and muck began to 
accumulate on top of the marl at a rate of probably an inch in 
depth in a hundred years. As time went on various water 
plants, mosses, sedges, grasses, shrubs and even trees, grew in 
shallow water, and as they eventually went to decay, muck was 
made faster than when it was all made of leaves. Finally the 
pond was filled and closed over with grasses, sedges, shrubs and 
trees as we find it today. 

By running down a slim pole I found the muck a foot or 
two deep at or near the edge, but two rods from the edge the 
longest pole does not strike the bottom. Where I had removed 
four feet of muck a fourteen foot pole struck no bottom. 

The old Windsor and Woodstock Turnpike crosses this 
swamp on my land close to my eastern line. The road was built 
about the year 1800. It was in use only twenty years when it 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


31 


was given up. In building across the swamp, they first laid 
two lines of logs lengthways of the road and then covered those 
with logs crossways close together and then covered those logs 
with earth. 

To aid in draining the swamp when digging muck there in 
1862 we dug a ditch across this road, and three feet down in the 
muck under the logs we found a live toad. He was about half 
the size of a common toad, very soft and tender. We put him 
up on the muck we had thrown out and he winked a few thanks 
to us and hopped away. 

When digging muck in this swamp later on in the seventies, 
I removed a large pine stump, and where I cut off a large root 
close to the body of the stump I counted 125 annular rings of 
yearly growth. Almost directly under this stump and ten inches 
lower down in the muck was a black ash stump a foot through 
and by counting the grains in portions of the partly decayed 
wood, I made its growth to be 150 years. Nearly under this 
stump and twenty inches lower down was the remains of a large 
black ash full two feet in diameter and probably of 300 years 
growth. Twenty inches still lower, and half its bigness in the 
marl, was a hemlock log of 75 years growth. Roots from the 
lower ash had run down through the hemlock log. Beside this 
log in the marl was a small hemlock stick cut at each end and 
trimmed and peeled by a beaver. It had lain there thousands 
of years when Babylon was founded. I showed you that stick. 
Now here was 650 years of tree growth. Allowing time for 
trees to go to decay and muck to form between them, it 
follows that muck began to form there 10 or 20 thousand years 
ago. 

Down under the muck on top of the marl, is a great variety 
of the shells of the common water snails, some of them quite 
perfect and others in various stages of decay. Some scientists 
think the marl is made up wholely of decayed shells, but I cannot 
accept that idea. I have examined the marl lower down with a 
high power microscope and have found no trace of shells. These 
shells at the top of the marl are fossils, and probably grew be¬ 
fore or about the time vegetation first appeared. The species 
are: Planorbis bicarinatus, campanulatus, corpulentus, lentus, 
trivolvis, deflectus and parvus; Physa hetrostropha, gyrina and 
Sayii; Limnaea palustris, elodes and humulis; Sphaerium sul¬ 
catum and striatinum; Pisidium compressum and Ancylus 
paralelus. 




32 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


Conchology 

In the line of Conchology, I have found at the swamp: 
Helix alholabris, Helix alternata, Helix tridentata, Helix mono- 
don and Succinea ovalis, all more or less common land shells. 

Ichthyology 

I once put three specimens of Ameiurus nebulosus (Bullhead) 
in the pond that was formed where I dug muck, hoping they 
would thrive and multiply, but they all died. 

Herpetology 

I have found the Amblystoma punctatum (salamander) on 
the swamp and in the water, Plethodon erythronotus (sala¬ 
mander) and near by Bufo lentiginosus (toad) also Hyla versi¬ 
color (tree toad) and have heard Hyla pickeringi (peeper) so 
I know he is there; Rana virescens and Rana clamata (frogs) 
are often seen there and Eutania sirtalis (striped snake) very 
rarely. Chrysemys picta (painted turtle) is there in the pond and 
Chelopus insculptus (land turtle) I have seen on the driest part 
of the swamp. 

Mammology 

Fiber zibethicus (muskrat) has done some damage to my 
arrangements about digging muck. Avicola Pennsylvanicus 
(mouse) puts in an appearance. Aretomys monax (woodchuck) 
I have seen occasionally standing at the border of the swamp 
viewing the landscape o’er. Tamias striatus (red squirrel) and 
Sciurus Hudsonicus (chipmunk) both put in a happy-go-lucky 
time there. I have never seen Condylura cristata (star nosed 
mole) but I know he is there from his curious work no one else 
can do. I once saw Mephitus mephitica (skunk) walking about 
there but I did not have any trouble with him. I found a skele¬ 
ton of Vulpes vulpes (fox) there, also a skeleton of Vulpes do- 
mestica (dog). The late Mr. Calvin Luce once told me his 
father had had cattle enough mired in that swamp that never 
got out but died there to stock the farm. That must have happen¬ 
ed previous to seventy years ago. 

Ornithology 

Of the Ornithology of the swamp I will only say, I once 
found Bonasa umbellus (partridge) on a nest of eggs at the edge 
of the swamp and there is a tree near the middle of the swamp 
on which I have seen Dryobates villosus (hairy woodpecker) 
Dryobates pubescenes (downy woodpecker) and Melanerpes ery- 
throeephalus ( red-headed woodpecker) do considerable work. 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


33 


Entomology 

I do not know that there are any species of Lepidoptera 
peculiar to Snail Swamp; but I may mention, I found cocoons 
with chrysalids that I hatched, of Atticus polyphemus, cecropia 
and luna on hazel bushes at the border of the swamp. 

Diptera 

There are Diptera always found about standing water, as 
in swamps, and Mrs. Culex pipens is always here in her season. 
She makes up the religious element of the locality, for she it is, 
that sings over us and preys upon us. Her sister Culex conso- 
brinus, is here also. Of course there are many other Dipters 
about here, but not that are peculiar to the place I know. 

Neuroptera 

Neuroptera are always found about standing water for their 
larva live in it. I have seen several species here but have identi¬ 
fied but two. They are not the largest nor the smaller but about 
medium; they are Libellula trimaculata and L. pulchella. 

Hemiptera 

In Hemiptera we have the great powerful Belostoma ameri- 
cana that lives in water but sometimes flies about at night. He 
will run a sucker or something of the kind from his mouth into 
your flesh that gives a sensation just like the sting of a bee but 
as he does not leave any poison the sting does not last long. 
Zaitha aurantiacum, another water bug, is here, is half an inch 
long and half as wide with a flat back and I found one with a 
cluster of eggs on his back; were they of that species, or did some 
one else make a nest on him? Ranatra quadridenticulata is an 
odd fellow to be found in water, looks much like a Devil’s darn¬ 
ing needle. Gerris conformis goes skipping around on the water, 
and Notonecta undulata shoots about in the water, and always 
with his back down and his face and leg side up, but when out of 
the water goes hopping about with his back up and his legs 
under him in a rational manner. I have seen him there in ice 
water in the winter; his brother Notonecta irrorata, is there 
also but only seen rarely. 


Coleoptera 

Of the Coleopters I will mention only the true water beetles 
I have found in the water here. I begin with the largest and go 
down to the smallest. Dytiscus fasciventris is a large beetle an 




34 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


inch and] a half long with beautiful glossy wing covers; the 
female has fluted wing covers. 


Hydroeharis obtusatus Dinuetes Americanus 

Acilius semisulcatus Dinuetes discolor 

The last two have a way of darting around in zigzag lines 
on top of the water. 


Tropisturnis glaber 
Agabus congener 
Coptotomus interrogate 
Gyrinus confinis 
Hydroporus undatus 
Hydroporus modestus 


Laccophilus maculosus 
Berosus striatus 
Cnemidotus 12 punctatus 
Haliplus punctatus 
Haliplus oribrarius 
Goelambus inaequalis 


Botany 

Of the Flora of this swamp, I will first name the trees. 
There is a large Tsuga Canadensis (hemlock) standing in the 
edge of the swamp and leaning in. It is more than two feet 
through. I would have it cut for lumber, but it would fall where 
I could not get it. Pinus strobus (white pine) is represented by 
quite a number of trees; one twenty inches through was struck 
by lightning and twenty feet of the top taken off. Abies nigra 
(balsam) is here but not very large. There is a tall grand 
Ulmus Americana (elm) and many smaller specimens. Betula 
lutea (yellow birch) is here, also several medium large and beau¬ 
tiful Betula papyriferas (white birch), one on the turnpike near 
tiful Betula papyrifera (white birch), one on the turnpike near 
the middle of the swamp. The swamp is just home for Fraxinus 
nigra (ash). Fraxinus Amercana is here at the edge. Juglans 
cinerea (butternut) commonly wants dry land, but here are sev¬ 
eral two or three rods in the swamp. Acer sacharium (maple), 
Acer rubrum, Acer spicatum and Quercus rubra, commonly 
dry land trees are all here, also Tilia Americana (basswood), 
the latter with its broad and beautiful leaves. Amelanchier cana¬ 
densis (shadbush) shows its beautiful white blossoms here early 
in the spring. A good sized Pyrus malus (apple) grows within 
a rod of where we dug up the toad. Prunus serotina (black 
cherry) and Prunus virginiana (choke cherry) both grow here 
on the muck. Alnus incana (alder hoary) is an old standby in 
most every wet place is here, of course. Sambucus canaden¬ 
sis (elder sweet) and Sambucus racemosa (elder red) are both 
here, although the latter makes a very light showing. Corylus 
rostrata (hazelnut beaked) is here, and Rosa rubiginosa (sweet 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


35 


briar), the latter being very rare. Rubus strigosus (backberry), 
Rubus occidentalis and 1 Rubus hispidus all are here, and Ribes 
floridum (gooseberry), Ribes Cynosbati and Ribes oxyacanthoides. 
Rhus Toxicodendron (poison ivy) puts in its unwelcome appear¬ 
ance, and for vines we have Vitis labrusca (grape), Ampelopsis 
quinquefolia (woodbine) and Solanum Dulcamara (nightshade), 
the latter being very rare with its beautiful purple blossoms and 
own sister to our cultivated Solanum tuberosum. There are two 
species of Cornus here, one, Cornus sericea, is shy of the wet and 
grows at the edge, while Cornus stolonifera over-runs consider¬ 
able space. There is Salix (willow) all about here and, I may 
not be correct, but as near as I can determine, there are three 
species, Salix discolor, Salix rostrata and Salix cordata. And 
then we have: 


Veratrum viride 
Caltha palustris 
Arisaema triphyllum 
Aralia nudicaulis 
Impatiens pallida 
Impatiens fulva 
Actaea alba 
Actaea rubra 
Dentaria diphylla 
Asarum Canadense 
Chelone glabra 
Mitella diphylla 
Tiarella cordifolia 
Fragaria virginiana 
Fragaria vesca 
Ranunculus acris 
Ranunculus abortivus 
Taraxicum officinale 
Rumex obtusifolius 
Rumex Acetosella 
Verbascum Thapsus 
Spirea tomentosa 
Cnicus arvensis 
Cerastium vulgatum 
Tussilago Farfara 
Monarda punctata 
Veronica serpyllifolia 


Poke 

Cowslip 

Indian Turnip 

Sarsaparilla 

Jewel weed 

Jewelweed 

Baneberry 

Baneberry 

Indian Pepper 

Wild Ginger 

Snakehead 

Miterwort 

False Miterwort 

Strawberry 

Strawberry 

Buttercup 

Buttercup 

Dandelion 

Yellow Dock 

Sorrel 

Mullein 

Hardhack 

Thistle 

Chickweed 

Colt’s Foot 

Horsemint 

Speedwell 



36 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


Geum rivale 
Coptis trifolia 
Lilium canadense 
Lilium philadelphicum 
Hypericum perforatum 
Eupatorium perfoliatum 
Viola canadensis 
Caulophyllum thalictroides 
Trillium erectum 
Erythronium americanum 
Maianthemum canadense 
Oakesia sessilifolia 
Spiranthes cernua 
Lycopodium clavatum 
Lycopodium complanatum 
Equisetum hyemale 
Equisetum arvense 
Typha latifolia 


Adiantum pe datum 
Aspidium noveboraeens 
Aspidium spinulosum 
Aspidium Thelypteris 
Onoclea sensibilis 
Onoclea Struthiopteris 
Osmunda regalis 
Osmunda Claytoniana 
Osmunda cinnemomea 
Pteris aquilina 
Cystopteris bulbifera 
Carex riparia 
Carex rosea 
Carex flava 
Carenx pallescens 
Juncus effusus 

Poa pratensis 
Deyeuxia Canadensis 
Trifolium repens 


Avensroot 

Goldthread 

Lily 

Lily 

St. JohnVwort 

Thoroughwort 

Canada Violet 

Blue Cohush 

Benjamin 

Addertongue 

Canada Mayflower 

Bellwort 

Ladies Tresses 

Evergreen 

Evergreen 

Rush j 

Rush 

Cattail 

FERNS 

Maidenhair 


Polypod 

' f 


Carex grisea 
Carex sparganioides 
Carex vulpinoidea 
Carex bromoides 

GRASSES 

Glyceria nervata 
Eatonia pennsylvanicr 



HARTLANDl VERMONT 


37 


ADDED LIST—1914. 


Acer Pennsylvanicum 
Quercus ruba 
Salix fragilis 
Rhus thyphina 
Cornus alternifolia 
Vaccinium Oxycoccus 
Juniperus virginiana 
Ribes Cynosbati 
Phleum pratense 
Glyceria canadensis 
Agrostis vugaris 
Leersia oryzoides 
Carex crinita 
Scirpus atrovirens 
Scirpus lacustris 
Aspidium marginal e 
Dicksonia pilosiuscula 
Solidago nemoralis 
Solidago juncea 
Solidago canadensis 
Solidago lanceolata 
Solidago rugosa 
Lycopodium dendroideum 
Gaultheria procumbens 
Aralia nudicaulis 
Polygala paucifolia 
Clematis virginiana 
Rumex verticellatus 
Eupatorium purpurureum 
Eupatorium perfoliatum 
Habenaria tridentata 
Trientalis americana 
Senecio aureus 


Polygtonum pennsylvanicum 
Polygonum hydropiper 
Spiranthes cernua 
Daucus carota 
Crataegus coccinea 
Lobelia inflata 

Chrysanthemum leucanthemum 
Ranunculus scoleratus 
Aster novae-angliae 
Cnicus lanceolatus 
Cnicus odoratus 
Cnicus muticum 
Anemone cylindrica 
Lactuca Canadensis 
Antennaria plantaginifolia 
Gnaphalium polycephalum 
Brunella vulgaris 
Angelica atropurpurea 
Achillea millifolium 
Thalictrum dioicum 
Hepatica triloba 
Spirea salicifolia 
Juncus effusus 
Viola pubescens 
Sanguinaria canadensis 
Caltha palustris 
Aster vimineus 
Aster laevis 
Aster umbellatus 
Aster multiflorus 
Cornus canadensis 
Ambrosia artemisiifolia 




38 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


BIRDS OF HARTLAND, WOODSTOCK AND VICINITY 

R—Resident S R—Summer Resident M—Migrant V—Visi¬ 

tant W V—Winter Visitant S—Stray. 

Grebes 

Horned grebe S 

Specimen in E. D. Morgan’s Col. Feb. 1908 
Pied-billed grebe M 

Gulls, Terns, etc. 

Herring gull M 
Bonaparte's Gull S 
Aug. 2, 1918 E. D. M’s Col. 

Common tern M 

Ducks and Geese 

American merganser M 
Hooded merganser M 
Nov. 16, 1920 R. M. Marble’s CoL 
Mallard duck S R 
Black duck S R 
Blue-winged teal M 
Wood duck M 
Whistler M 
Canada goose M 

Herons and Bitterns 

American bittern S R 
Great blue heron S R 
Little green heron S R 
Black-crowned night heron S R 

Rails and Coots 

Virginia Rail S R 
Sora rail S R 
Yellow rail M 

Oct. 20, 1913 E. D. M.’s CoL 

Phalaropes 

Red phalarope 

Nov. 1916 W. H. Moore’s Col. 


Snipes and Sandpipers 

American woodcock S R 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


39 


Wilson’s snipe S R 
Pectoral sandpiper M 
Greater yellow legs M 
Lesser yellow legs M 
Solitary sandpiper S R 
Upland plover S R 
Spotted sandpiper S R 

Plovers 

Killdeer M 

Grouse 

Ruffed grouse R 
Pheasants 

Ringed-neck pheasant R 
Doves 

Mourning dove S 

Falcons, Hawks and Eagles \ 

Marsh hawk S R 
Sharp-shinned hawk S R 
Cooper’s hawk S R 
American goshawk V 
Red-tailed hawk S R 
Red-shouldered hawk S R 
Swainson’s hawk S 
May 23, 1915 E. D. M.’s Col. 
Broad-winged hawk M 
American rough-legged hawk M 
Golden eagle S 

1857 H. S. Dana’s Col. 

Bald eagle S 
Duck hawk S R 
Pigeon hawk M 
American sparrow hawk S R 
American osprey M 

Owls 

American long-eared owl R 
Short-eared owl R 
Barred owl R 
Saw-whet W V 
Screech owl R 



40 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


Great horned owl R 
Snowy owl W V 

Cuckoo 

Black-billed cuckoo S R 

Woodpeckers 

Hairy woodpecker R 
Downy woodpecker R 
Arctic three-toed woodpecker S 
Nov. 16, 1910 

Yellow-bellied sapsucker S R 
Pileated woodpecker R 
Red-headed woodpecker S R 
Flicker S R 

Goatsuckers, Swifts and Hummingbirds 
Whip-poor-will S R 
Nighthawk S R 
Chimney swift S R 
Ruby-throated hummingbird S R 
Kingbird S R 

Great crested flycatcher S R 
Phoebe S R 

Olive-sided flycatcher S R 
Wood pewee S R 
Yellow-bellied flycatcher M 
Alder flycatcher S R 
Chebec S R 

Larks 

Horned lark M 
Prairie horned lark S R 

Crows, Jays, etc. 

Blue jay R 
Northern raven S 
Nov. 19, 1912 E. D. M.’s Col. 
American crow R 

Starlings 

Starling R 

Blackbirds, Orioles, etc. 

Bobolink S R 
Cowbird M 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


41 


Red-winged blackbird S R 
Meadow lark S R 
Orchard oriole S 
May 14, 1908 
Baltimore oriole S R 
Rusty blackbird M 
Bronzed grackle S R 

Finches, Sparrows, etc. 

Evening grosbeak V 
Pine grosbeak W V 
Purple finch R 
English sparrow R 
Red crossbill V 
White-winged crossbill V 
Redpoll WV 
American goldfinch S R 
Pine siskin V 
Snow bunting W V 
Lapland longspur W V 
Vesper sparrow S R 
Savanna sparrow S R 
White-crowned sparrow M 
White-throated sparrow S R 
Tree sparrow M 
Chipping sparrow S R 
Field sparrow S R 
Junco S R 
Song sparrow S R 
Lincoln’s sparrow M 
Swamp sparrow S R 
Fox sparrow M 
Towhee S R 

Rose-breasted grosbeak S R 
Blue grosbeak S 
Oct. 19, 1911 
Indigo bunting S R 

Tanagers 

Scarlet tanager S R 

Swallows 

Purple martin S 



42 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


Eave swallow S R 
Barn swallow S R 
Tree swallow S R 
Bank swallow S R 

Waxwings 

Bohemian waxwing S 
Oct. 30, 1917 
Cedar waxwing S R 

Shrikes 

Northern shrike W V 
Loggerhead shrike V 

Vireos 

Red-eyed vireo S R 
Warbling vireo S R 
Yellow-throated vireo S R 
Solitary vireo S R 

Wood warblers 

Golden-winged 1 warbler M 
Nashville warbler S R 
Tennessee warbler M 
Parula warbelr S R 
Cape May warbler M 
Yellow warbler S R 
Black-throated blue warbler S R 
Myrtle warbler S R 
Magnolia warbler S R 
Chestnut-sided warbler S R 
Bay-breasted warbler S R 
Blackpoll warbler M 
Blackburnian warbler S R 
Black-throated green warbler S R 
Pine warbler S R 
Yellow palm warbler M 
Prairie warbler S 
May 5, 1909 
Oven bird S R 
Water thrush M 
Connecticut warbler S 
Mourning warbler M 
Adult female R. M. M/s Col. 




HARTLAND VERMONT 


43 


Northern Maryland yellow threat S R 
Hooded warbler S 
May 15, 1914 
Wilson’s warbler M 
Canadian warbler M 
American redstart S R 
Pipits 

American pipit M 
Thrashers, Wrens, etc. 

Catbird S R 
Brown thrasher S R 
House wren S R 
Winter wren M 
Creepers 

Brown creeper R 
Nuthatches and Tits 

White-breasted nuthatch R 
Red-breasted nuthatch W V 
Tufted titmouse S 
Apr. 6, 1910 

Black-capped chickadee R 
Acadian chickadee W V 
Kinglets 

Golden crowned kinglet M 
Ruby crowned kinglet M 
Thrushes, Bluebirds, etc. 

Wood thrush S R 
Veery S R 

Gray-cheeked thrush M 
Olive-backed thrush M 
Hermit thrush S R 
American robin S R 
Bluebird S R 



44 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


LIST OF MAMMALS RECENTLY OR LIKELY TO BE 
FOUND IN WOODSTOCK OR HARTLAND, 
VERMONT—1910 

Mrs. Evalirie Darling Morgan, A. P. Morse, G. M. Allen 

Northern Virginia Deer—Odocoileus virginianus 
Northern Gray Squirrel—Sciurus carolinensis leucotis 
Red Squirrel—Sciurus hudsonicus 
Chipmunk—Tamias striatus lysteri 
Woodchuck—Arctomys monax 

Canadian Flying Squirrel—Sciuropterus sabrinus macrotis 

Southern Flying Squirrel—Sciuropterus volans 

House Mouse—Mus musculus 

Norway Rat, Gray Rat—Mus norvegicus 

Black Rat—Mus rattus 

White-footed Mouse, Deer-mouse—Peromyscus leucopus nove- 
boracensis 

Red-backed Mouse—Evotomys gapperi ochraceus 

Meadow-mouse—Microtus pennsylvanicus 

Muskrat—Fiber zibethicus 

Long-tailed Jumping Mouse—Zapus hudsonius 

Woodland Jumping Mouse—Napaeozapus insignis 

Porcupine—Erethizon dorsatum 

Varying Hare—Lepus americanus virginianus 

Northern Cottontail—Lepus transitionalis 

Wildcat, Bay Lynx—Lynx ruffus 

Red Fox—Vulpes fulous 

Gray Fox—Urocyon cinerecaryenteus borealis 

Otter—Lutra canadensis 

Skunk—Mephitis putida 

Mink—Putorius vison 

Little Brown Weasel—Putorius cicognanii 

New York Weasel, Large Brown Weasel—Putorius novebora- 
censis 

Fisher—Mustela pennanti 
Raccoon—Procyon lotor 
Black bear—Ursus americanus 
Long-tailed Shrew—Sorex personatus 
Smoky Shrew—Sorex fumeus 
Least Shrew—Sorex hoyi 
Water Shrew—Sorex albibarbis 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


45 


Short-tailed Shrew—Blarina brevicauda talpoides 

Brewer’s Mole—Parascalops breweri 

Star-nosed Mile—Condylura cristata 

Little Brown Bat—Myotis lucifugus 

Say’s Bat—Myotis subulatus 

Silver-haired Bat—Lasionycteris noctivagans 

Large Brown Bat—Vespertilio fuscus (now Eplesurus) 

Red Bat—Lasiurus borealis 

Hoary Bat—Lasiurus cinereus 

Gray Fox—Urocyon cineroargenteus borealis 

Of extirpated species there may be added the Beaver, Cougar, 
Canada Lynx, Gray Wolf, Wolverine, and Pine Marten. Probably 
additional rodents (Synaptomys spp.) will be found by thorough 
search. 

The terminology and sequence of species is based on Allen’s 
List of N. E. Mammals, B. S. N. H., with one or two changes. 



46 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


HISTORICAL NOTES 


HARTLAND 

Hartland was settled about 1763 by Timothy Lull on Brit¬ 
ton’s meadow, and like many other towns in the state saw its 
greatest prosperity from 1800 to 1825, when it was classed as 
second in wealth. The population was then 2,503, and in 1920 
was 1,212. In 1880 when Dr. D. F. Rugg was Superintendent 
of Schools the population was 1,604; the number of common 
schools was 15, employing six male and 19 female teachers. The 
entire cost of schools in 1882 was $2,530.20. In 1921 there were 
10 schools employing ten female teachers. There were 181 pupils, 
and the entire cost of schools was $12,811.40. 


GREEN MOUNTAIN PERKINS ACADEMY 

This Universalist school was incorporated by an act of the 
Vermont Legislature November 13, 1848, under the name of the 
Green Mountain Liberal Institute. In 1860 the word Liberal 
was dropped, and in 1870, the present name was adopted in 
honor of the late Gaius Perkins, an ardent supporter of the school. 

Among the incorporators were the Hon. Silas H. Jennison, 
ex-Governor of Vermont; Ami Willard, Esq., and the following 
Universalist ministers: Warren Skinner, Eli Ballou, W. S. Ballou, 
D. M. Read and Samuel C. Loveland. 

The school was supported by tuition receipts and private aid, 
until 1866, when through the efforts of Rev. E. S. Foster and 
Henry W. Walker, Esq., a permanent endowment of ten thousand 
dollars was obtained. 

From the outset the school was successful. One hundred 
twelve students attended the first term, and during the next 
decade scholars came hither from all parts of the Union. The 
greatest number enrolled for a single year was 250, in the year 
ending November 15, 1853, during the principalship of Rev. J. S. 
Lee, who served from 1852 to 1857. 

Among the distinguished men who have attended this school 
are the following: Elmer H. Capron, President of Tufts College; 



HARTLAND VERMONT 


47 


Nehemiah White, President of Lombard University; Almon Gun¬ 
nison, President of St. Lawrence University; Revs. S. A. Parker, 
Harvey Hersey, Simeon Goodenough, William E. Gibbs, Hiram A. 
Philbrook, Franklin S. Bliss and Benjamin K. Russ; Franklin M. 
Robinson of Dubuque, Augustus E,. Scott of Boston, and ex-Con- 
gressman H. W. Parker of New Hampshire; Dr. Oorlando W. 
Sherwin, ex-President of Vermont Medical Society; Dr. Obed C. 
Turner, Cambridge, Mass.; Gen. Windsor B. French, Col. J. J. R. 
Randall, Edward Conant, Randolph Normal School; Prof. Isaac 
A. Parker, Lombard University and Samuel E. Adams, ex-Mas- 
ter of the National Grange. 

Among the earlier principals who achieved marked success 
in their profession were John Ward of Detroit, Dewit C. Cram of 
Dubuque, Rev. John S. Lee, Dr. William R. Shipman, Rev. Moses 
Marston and Rev.' J. J. Lewis. Later principals were men of 
marked ability, as E. H. Aldrich, N. P. Wood, M. D., I. S. Cook, 
O. H. Perry and C. H. Darling. Under the latter Miss Nancy 
Darling, one of the founders of the Nature Club, taught, this 
being in 1884-86. 

Later, on account of other Universalist schools being estab¬ 
lished and the ever increasing educational facilities elsewhere, 
the school assumed a local character, and the last students to 
graduate in 1897 were only two in number, yet the school under 
Prof. Joseph H. Dunbar of North Hartland, a man of genius 
and author of several valuable text books, maintained its high 
standard of scholarship. In the intervening period between 1888 
and 1897 Miss Carrie Walker (later Mrs. Ralph E. Jaquith) did 
excellent work, as did also seven other principals. 


WILLIAM EMERSON DAMON 

William Emerson Damon, author and naturalist, was born 
at Windsor, Vermont, November 15, 1838, son of Luther and 
Betsy (Thayer) Damon. His first American ancestor was John 
Damon, a native of Berkshire, England, and came to this country 
in 1631 and settled in Reading, Mass. The line descends through 
John Damon’s son Joseph, his son Joseph, his son Jabez and his 
son Aaron Damon, grandfather of our subject. He was educated 
at the district school of Windsor and the Kimball Union Academy, 
Meriden, N. H. He remained in Windsor for several years, 



48 


HARTLAND NATURE CLUB 


obtaining a valuable training in commercial life, and at the same 
time developing his inherent genius for natural science. He con¬ 
ducted a mercantile business in Galena, Ill., for one year and in 
1860 became associated with P. T. Barnum in New York. Bar- 
num was at that time gathering scientific collections from all 
parts of the world for his museum and found in Mr. Damon a 
most ardent helper in this work. In 1862 Mr. Damon and Prof. 
Albert S. Bickmore, an assistant of Prof. Agassiz, of Harvard, 
conducted a scientific expedition to Bermuda, and succeeded in 
bringing back over 600 living specimens of tropical fish. On his 
return he became associated with Tiffany & Co., the New York 
jewelers, and for over forty years was part owner of the business 
and also superintendent of the credit department. But while 
thus engaged he did not give up his scientific activities. He was 
one of the founders and original directors of the New York 
aquarium, and his advice and assistance contributed in no small 
degree to its success and present popularity. Mr. Damon was the 
author of “Ocean Wonders” (1879) and in scientific circles he was 
a recognized authority in this specialty. He was a remarkable 
man who combined in the highest degree the qualities of com¬ 
mercial success and of rare scientific attainment. He was mar¬ 
ried at Windsor, Vermont, February 14, 1865, to Alma C. Otis, 
daughter of Timothy Bradford Otis. He was a member of the 
Mycological and the Naturalists Clubs of New York, the New 
York Scientific Alliance, the Microscopical, the Zoological, and 
the New England Societies of New York, and the Royal Micro¬ 
scopical Society of London. He died at Windsor, Vermont, De¬ 
cember 1, 1911, and is survived by his widow. 
























































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